STAFFORDSHIRE BULL BREED LECTURE

Prepared by Annette Baxter BOLDHART STAFFORDSHIRE BULL

THE STAFFORDSHIRE IS “THE FOREMOST ALL PURPOSE “

Acknowledgements: New Zealand Kennel Gazette, H Beilby, John F Gordon, The Staffordshire Bull Terrier in America, Deiter Fleig, The Complete Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Danny Gilmour. Thank you to all who have given permission to use photographs of their Staffords.

THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

ORIGINS

The ancestors of the staffordshire bull terrier english terrier which was a lighter breed very go back centuries to the mastiff breeds. The active and quick in movement. bulldog that evolved from these mastiffs were used for bull baiting and bear baiting and The colouration found was varied white, were very large and weighed anything pieds, brindle, fawn, red and even black & tan from 80 to 120lbs. These dogs were bred with which as we know is undesirable in today’s large powerful jaws and fronts to hold their standard of the SBT. opponent. The popularity of this “sport” As a result of this crossing the weight of the started to wane around the 1800’s and by fighting dog was reduced and this bull and 1835 was outlawed by the authorities of the terrier is almost certainly the forebears of the time. When this so called “sport” was modern SBT. outlawed the emphasis was then on wherein dog was matched against Although the stafford was bred to fight other dog and usually weight for weight. Only the dogs it must be remembered that these dogs game survived and only those dogs who were owned by the hard working family man. proved themselves in the pit were bred with. In the main the dogs were treated with a lot of There were many pits around London and the care as a good fighting dog could earn money mining districts of Staffordshire and this for the family. They associated with all the activity became a favourite pastime. family including the children.

With the popularity of dog fighting and other It is from these beginnings that you can see activities such as ratting it was soon found where the characteristics of : Traditionally of that the qualities of tenacity and courage indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly possessed by the old time bulldogs were not intelligent and affectionate especially with in themselves sufficient to ensure the best children and temperament of: Bold, fearless results when pitting dog against dog and that and totally reliable have stemmed from. a lighter and more agile type was needed Although the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is now with rapid and quick movement a necessity. an ideal companion dog and show dog we There are various theories as to the must never forget the background and history development of the Bull and Terrier or the Pit of the breed. To judge and assess the Dog however this was probably done in two Staffordshire correctly we must take into ways. Firstly by selecting the most agile and account the physical and mental properties lighter types of bulldogs and then by crossing that enable the dog to perform the these dogs with the lighter and more agile old functions for which it evolved.

RECOGNITION OF THE BREED.

The breed first received kennel club This standard was revised and the height was recognition on the 25th May 1935. Staffords changed to 14-16 inches and the weight were first exhibited at the Great Hertfordshire clause unaltered thus resulting in a cobbier Open Show in June 1935 with 27 entries. type of dog. The breed standard was also The newly formed Staffordshire Bull Terrier altered to include a scale of points in 1948 Club held their first show on the 17th August of and it is interesting to note on what areas was the same year with 60 entries. the most importance placed.

Jack Barnard the first president of the club General Appearance – Coat & Condition 10 wrote the first book about the breed in 1935 Head 25 and his dog Jim the Dandy was such a typical Neck 10 example of the breed at that time it is stated Body 25 that it was this dog around which the breed Legs & Feet 15 standard was written. Tail 5 General Movement & Balance 10 The first challenge certificates were awarded in 1938 and the first 2 champions of the To assist in understanding the importance the breed were titled in May 1939. Old Timers of the Breed – The people who established the breed standard placed on The original standard stated that a dog each section of the dog I have listed the should be 15-18 inches and weigh 28 – 38 points allocated in each section of the lbs and bitches were to be 4 lbs lighter. standard.

The breed was awarded championship status in 1938 when CC’s were awarded for the first time. First Champions of the Breed:

Ch Gentleman Jim Ch Lady Eve

Origins of the breed: The was compact, broad and muscular as reflected in the well-known depiction Crib and Rosa. The average height was approximately 15 inches and they weighed about 45 pounds. A particular characteristic of the breed was the lower jaw that projected considerably in front of the upper jaw, which made possible a strong, vice-like grip. The nose was deeply set in the face, which allowed the dog to get enough air as it gripped the bull. Crib & Rosa

The Black & Tan Terrier

Jim The Dandy – The model for the original Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Standard

The Old English Terrier

The BREED STANDARD is the criteria by typey. A sure way to lose type is to ignore the which all pure breed dogs are judged. Its breed standard. Another way is to over purpose is to describe the “perfect” exaggerate one area of the standard and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. This paragon has neglect others. never existed for in all breeds there is room for improvement even in the very best SOUNDNESS: Soundness is the ability of the specimens. Thus the aim of the breeder is to dog to function well. Soundness produce a dog which comes as close as encompasses a structurally correct skeleton, possible to the criteria listed in the standard. correct muscle, correct temperament The job of the dog show judge is to choose combined with no disabilities - temporary or as winner the dog which most closely permanent which would prevent the dog from epitomizes the standard of the breed. Words using these attributes. A dog which is lame, most used when evaluating dogs: deaf, blind, overly aggressive or highly nervous or shy is unsound. A dog with a TYPE: The word type probably is misused by wounded foot is temporarily unsound. As dog fanciers more than any other word. soon as he can move without limping he is Contrary to popular belief, each breed has sound again. Not all faults in a dog make him only one correct type. The most “typey” dog is unsound. A dog may have an overly long thin the one which comes closest to the muzzle, carry his tail too high or be too long characteristics set forth in the standard. Type in leg but as long as he can use those parts is what sets one breed of dog apart from as nature intended he is still sound. However every other breed. All breeds have some since those faults are uncharacteristic of the small variation even amongst the most typey breed as described in the standard he would individuals. Slight differences in size, be said to lack breed type. A mongrel can be expression, substance, and refinement may very sound but he has no type. be family line differences, or they may be variations within the same line - but they are CONDITION; Condition is the responsibility of not differences in type. Provided the dog the owner. A dog is in “condition” if he carries adheres to the characteristics listed in the the proper amount of weight for his size, has breed standard, the dog will have type even muscle tone, clear eyes and a glossy well though it may look a little different from cared for coat.

another persons ideal dog which is no less BALANCE: Balance means that all parts of necessary not only for the different parts the body should fit each other without one (legs, body etc) to be properly proportioned part overwhelming the rest. A dog with a long and developed but it is equally essential that lanky body and a wide blocky head would the various parts are so built together that appear out of proportion. The words each part is capable of performing its own job “proportion” and “balance” are inter- in the best possible manner. For example, a changeable. dog may possess perfect hind legs, well boned and muscled and properly bent at STYLE: Style is defined by Webster as a stifle, yet if these are attached to a weak thin “manner deemed elegant and appropriate” body they cannot possibly impact maximum and “stylishness is defined as “showiness”. At agility and freedom of movement. Front legs a dog show style often separates the superior may be well boned and muscled but if they from the good and the winners from the are coupled with badly placed shoulders they losers when all other points are almost equal. lose a considerable proportion of usefulness The “stylish” dog shows off his characteristics and efficiency. of his breed and makes the most of his “typeyness”. Style or elegance is something Characteristics: Traditionally of indomitable you cannot give your dog he is either born courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and with it or he was not. affectionate with children.

THE STANDARD There was a change to the standard in 1987 and the following important clause was Quite often today when people talk about the deleted from the standard: This coupled with stafford the first thing they mention is the his affection for his friends, and children in head. Whilst the stafford head is important particular, his off duty quietness and and unique in appearance I believe that the trustworthy stability, makes him the foremost first 3 clauses in the breed standard are of all purpose dog - what a shame this was the utmost importance. deleted.

General Appearance: Smooth coated, well Generally speaking the stafford will not be balanced, of great strength for his size. indiscriminately aggressive towards other Muscular, active and agile. (10 points) dogs however if provoked he will retaliate and

From this it can be clearly seen that a usually win. It is not in the nature of a stafford stafford should never be fat. The muscles to back away from a fight if challenged and should be hard and the animal should only be nor would you want it to be. He never forgets carrying sufficient condition to make it an and if he has had a run in with a particular efficient working machine. This does not breed he usually harbors a dislike for all mean that the stafford should have muscles members of that breed.

like a body builder. Quite to the contrary it When judging a stafford don’t expect should be like an athlete or a boxer . He animation or response to a squeaky toy as needs to have instant action and mobility you would get from other breeds. However and staying power as in the old days a fight also never award a stafford that lacks the could last for several hours. This agility mental characteristics necessary in the should never come at the expense of breed . Nervousness timidity and unreliability substance as excellent bone is required for in temperament are all signs of unsoundness him to stand his ground in a fight. The bitch and you don’t want a stafford with it’s tail while showing more all over refinement between its legs or is timid or shy of people in should display these qualities to an equal any way. degree. Do not face Staffords up to each other. Overall balance is of the upmost They are not like some of the other terriers, importance in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. so never ask the exhibitor to “spar” at one We know from the history of the breed that another. If they spark up it is because they we need the correct blend of bull dog and mean business and if you had a novice terrier and in order therefore to combine exhibitor who did not realise what his dog these qualities in the same individual it is was capable of you could have a fight on your hands. A fighting stafford does not make a lot Temperament: Bold fearless and totally of noise and he can go without any warning. reliable. The one who stands seemingly oblivious to Temperament is well covered in the everything in the ring may be the one who will characteristics clause except to emphasis go faster than the speed of light should the that he should be totally reliable, a gentleman opportunity arise. unless set upon.

Fearless

Totally Reliable

Head & Skull: Short, deep through with a someone has cut a thick slice immediately broad skull. Very pronounced cheekmuscles, before the eyes leaving the skull and muzzle distinct stop, short foreface, nose black . (25 absolutely parallel when seen from the points). side. The muzzle should never appear dish faced or down faced.The length of the The Stafford’s head should be tight without muzzle ( tip of nose to stop ) being ideally wrinkle or looseness anywhere over both one third of the length of the whole head (tip skull and foreface and must not show any of nose to occiput) There should be a slight sign of lippiness. A lippy dog if fought would furrow (in adult dogs) running up the centre of risk losing half his face in the first few the skull from the stop to the occiput. There seconds of serious encounter. should be very pronounced cheek muscles.

The description of the head by many of the Too short a foreface is highly undesirable and old timers in the breed was wedge shaped will bring with it associated breathing both when viewed from the top and the side. problems. The head should never appear Perhaps the best description is that of a snipey nor should it appear square – it is a chunky wedge of cheese from which wedge. Nose should be black.

The topline of the skull is flat – not round, The dog should always display a stronger dogs with round skulls are termed “apple skull and foreface than the bitch. Dog headed” headed bitches and bitch headed dogs are both unacceptable. The stop should be deep and is extremely important for correct eye placement and It should be obvious from first glance of the expression. head whether the animal is male or female. If there is any doubt about it the head is wrong The foreface must be well filled up under and the stafford unbalanced. the eyes so that strength of muzzle maintained: Where the foreface falls away The head, whether male or female, should be and lacks this filling up the muzzle appears to in complete balance with the whole dog. be pinched and snipey denoting a grave lack of strength in the bite. Young puppies will not show the characteristic cheek muscle or furrow but will The underjaw of the dog must be strong, develop it gradually. Quite often a puppy will broad & deep. If the muzzle is not broad you have wrinkles on the head until it fully may see crowding of teeth or canines in the develops. wrong position. When judging, feel the muzzle and check the line of the lip as a dog The slower developing Stafford often does that has loose pendulous lips can sometimes not develop fully until 3 years of age. be mistaken for one that has strength of foreface. The appearance of the head is determined by the following points:

The relative length of muzzle to skull i.e. one third to two thirds

The relative “weight” i.e. depth and breadth of muzzle and skull

The angle at which the muzzle and skull are set to each other – parallel plains

Distinct stop, pronounced cheek muscles

The placement, size and shape of the eyes

The size and carriage of the ear

Head balance and proportions

Eyes: Dark preferred but may bear some relation to coat colour. Round of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Eye rims dark.

The expression of the face is very dependent on the setting, size and shape of the eye. The distance between the eyes never varies by more than a small amount but it is surprising how even a quarter of an inch can alter the general effect. Eyes that are close together tend to give rather a “mean” expression. Totally foreign to the breed as a Stafford should have a “soft expression.”

The eye socket should be rounded and facing White with excellent dark eye with forward. An obliquely placed or slit eye gives complete black eyerim. a foreign appearance.

The eyes must be set wide apart and this means the skull must be broad enough to permit this at the same time as allowing the eyes to look straight ahead. Unless there is a good stop the eyes cannot be set in the correct position. The eyes will be approximately in line with the stop. You should be able to run your finger along the top of the muzzle from nose to stop and your finger will come to an abrupt stop at the “stop”

Eyes must not protrude or be too large. “Poppy eyes” Remember - Round of medium size.

The eye colour can bear some relation to coat colour, thus a red dog can have a lighter eye than a dark brindle. In a tiger brindle dog the eye colour is often hazel which is Red with dark eye & excellent pigment permissible. Blacks, whites and pieds should have eyes as dark as possible. A dark eye on all colours gives a far better expression.

The standard says eye rims black however occasionally you may see a white or pied Stafford that does not have the complete black pigment as required by the standard. It is up to you as the judge to access this accordingly. Above all we must have type balance & soundness in our dogs and the overall quality of the specimen must be judged as a whole.

Obviously if you have two excellent specimens one with and one without eye pigmentation it should be obvious which Light Eyes on Black Brindle – Eyes should you would award according to the breed be dark standard.

Ears: Rose or half pricked, not large or Mouth: Lips tight and clean. Jaws strong, heavy. Full drop or pricked ears are highly teeth large with a perfect regular and undesirable. complete scissor bite. i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to The ears should be set at the top outer the jaw. corners of the skull. Neither on top of the skull nor along side it. A large ear is a grave A bone of contention in the breed has always handicap to any stafford whether he is been the undershot mouth as this will often working or playing and gives an opponent an appear due to the bulldog background of the immediate advantage as a hold. A similar stafford. You will quite often see a level bite handicap is the full prick ear or full drop ear particularly in a mature Stafford. which cannot easily be folded back out of the way. Both the full prick or full drop give Inverted canines are also becoming common the stafford a “foreign appearance” and within the breed and whilst not specifically are highly undesirable in the standard. mentioned in the standard a scissor bite is a requirement. The scissor bite includes the It should be emphasised that it is not canines locking into the dental arches. In a essential for a stafford to bring his ears narrow and weak underjaw the canines may forward when being shown however much it converge into the roof of the mouth and this may improve his appearance. His ingrained can cause pain to the dog. You will instinct to be on alert (especially when other sometimes see canines that have been cut dogs are around) requires the folded back off – watch for this as it is totally position , which is ideal for listening. While he unacceptable. The tips of all 4 canines is at all suspicious of his surroundings he will must be visible on the outside of the gum keep his ears tightly folded back You will when the jaws are closed. quite often see a stafford moving around the ring with his ears pinned back especially if Some judges tend to discard a Stafford with a there is a dog close behind. less than perfect bite, regardless of what other excellent qualities it may possess Ear leathers are becoming too thick, heavy however slight irregularities in dentition such long & large in some Staffords. A heavy as a crooked tooth or perhaps a broken (as large ear gives a Labrador appearance and is opposed to being cut off ) incisor or canine. totally foreign. Also a prime target in a fight. A stafford who has been involved in a fight or a tussle with a wire fence may have one or two teeth broken or missing. The Stafford is essentially a the main essential is the killing grip and as long as this is still in working order the mouth should not be penalised. Even if there are missing (due to an accident) or broken teeth you can still assess if there is a correct scissor bite. Slight irregularities in dentition caused by the above should not be severely penalised. Half prick – correct in the breed standard. Badly undershot or overshot mouths or inverted canines cannot grip as efficiently and should be severely penalised.

Neck: Muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening towards the shoulders. (10 points)

A neck that is too short can hamper the dog’s movements and slow his reactions because he cannot easily see round him without Rose ear set at the top outer turning his whole body. On the other hand a corners of the skull. neck which is too long will be weak it will look strength of bone in the front leg and also thin ungainly and rangy but will also offer a flat feet. vulnerable target to an opponent. The depth of brisket should be roughly to The ideal reach of neck will give the dog free the elbow. There will be a prosternum. If the range of vision, will be strong and at the brisket is too deep you will have a heavy same time be too short to provide an easy cloddy dog that appears very short in leg. If it target for teeth or claws. The call for a rather is too shallow the dog will be to terrier in short neck does not mean that the head is to appearance and will lack strength and be almost on the dog’s shoulder. balance.

Balance between head neck and body is When judging the Stafford feel the brisket essential and the perfect crest of neck flows with your hand. You should be able to cup smoothly from the ears into well laid back the rounded part of the brisket in your hand. shoulders. The neck must be free from loose folds of skin. Below: Legs straight & well boned, correct depth of the brisket. Not overdone but Quite often a neck too short will give the dog showing strength. Not overloaded at a bull dog appearance and you will generally shoulders. Feet turn out slightly. find the dog to “stuffy” all over.

Forequarters: Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which the feet turn out a little. Shoulders well laid back with no looseness at elbow.

The front legs while set wide apart must set under the dog and in line with the shoulders. It is essential that the dog should stand well up on his legs and that the body should never appear to be slung between them otherwise he can never attain the peak of activity.

Overloaded shoulders are extremely Legs straight and well boned, set rather undesirable giving a heavy bull dog wide apart. appearance. When viewing the dog from above the shoulders should come cleanly into the body and on no account should it appear that the shoulders are tacked on to the side of the body. The General Appearance clause calls for Active & Agile.

The front should not either resemble that of a for the chest must be broad and the front legs straight and must show the characteristic slight turn out of feet. This slight turn out gives the dog a far greater degree of stability and balance then he would have with a straight leg and enables him to resist being thrown off his feet so easily.

Whilst the feet turn out a little there is absolutely no room for weakness at pasterns. This is a common fault creeping into our breed and quite often you will see this weakness associated with incorrect is 4 fingers? In the old days this would have implied the 4 fingers of an adult male - it is a guideline only. Extra shortness would reduce the dogs agility however length will produce weakness in back. A sway back or drop in the middle section a sloping croup or roach back are highly undesirable.

The underline of the dog should show a definite tuck up behind the last rib.

Examples of Forequarters

Body: Close coupled, with level topline, wide front, deep brisket, well sprung ribs, muscular and well defined. (25 points) The Stafford is not Bulldog in front and Terrier behind, but is a balanced blend of the two with noticeably more width at the front than any other terrier. However any The appearance and development of the resemblance to the Bulldog at the front end is chest and body are largely controlled by two thoroughly undesirable and the lightness of factors – shoulder placement and rib the terrier behind would cause an imbalance development. The two main bones of the between front and rear. The Stafford must be shoulder the scapula and humerus lie at an its own blend of its two main progenitors with angle to each other between the base of the absolutely no exaggerations of any kind. neck and the top of the foreleg, and it is this However the body is slightly wider in front angle that partly determines the space than behind. available for development of the ribs (well

The standard previously contained the clause sprung ribs) and the organs i.e. heart lungs being rather light in loin. What a shame this etc which lie within them. If there is incorrect clause has been taken from the standard! angle the shoulder is said to be straight and lung space is reduced. The body shape of the Stafford used to be referred to as pear shaped. To have an active The ribs extend back from the shoulder for and agile dog which is the basis of the about two thirds of the distance between the Stafford Standard you need to have this “light shoulder blade and the thigh bone and at the in loin ” otherwise you end up with a thick set point where they end there should be a fairly cloddy dog all the way through. rapid reduction in body girth. Rather light in

loin. A powerful compact dog is required with a strong back and level topline which does The standard rightly specifies generous chest not dip behind the shoulders. A level topline capacity which calls for well sprung ribs is of the upmost importance as it is a key accompanied by forelegs set rather wide feature of the breed standard. There may be apart. A dog with inadequate space for lung a very slight muscular rise over the loin in a development cannot be expected to have mature well muscled dog. The rib cage stamina and staying power. should be long and well ribbed back – A short rib cage is undesirable. The ribs are well The measurement from withers to set on of sprung (not barreled) and deep with tail should be about the same as from withers prosternum. to the ground. – height of the dog.

The Stafford should be very strong in loin - In visualizing the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, not too short or too long. Many say the keynotes are strength and agility – Not approximately 4 fingers in length. What length the massive strength of the old time bruiser bulldog but the balanced strength of the the hindquarter. modern athlete, a strength which by the harmonious and symmetrical proportioning of Cowhocks are an indication of weakness the various parts and is always accompanied and are probably due to poor bone and lack by that power of free and rapid motion which of muscular development. They are highly we call agility. Well up on his feet he should undesirable in the Staffordshire. give the impression of carrying his sturdy Hocks should be well let down - short. body with ease- head well up – tail rather low, When viewed from behind a parallel line a gallant, sound and intelligent dog. should be seen from the hip through to the

Always look over the top of the Stafford for hock with hocks well let down - short. the “light in loin “. Wider in front then All muscles should be of refined quality. hindquarters. Course bumpy muscles might be effective

Active and agile is a phrase which must over short distances , but a lasting muscle is always spring to mind when one looks at a a long well toned one and will allow a Stafford Stafford and that impression must always to get maximum effect from his reserve of be dominant. stamina.

Withers to set on of tail should be about equal to height of dog from withers to ground. Note low set tail.

Tip when judging: Many exhibitors will stand their Stafford front on in the ring. The accepted angle for a Stafford to be exhibited Feet: Well padded, strong and of medium has always been three quarter on. This will size. Nails black in solid coloured dogs. enable you to view the dogs outline, topline, (Legs & Feet combined 15 points) turn of stifle etc. Perhaps the expert exhibitor turns front on for a reason? The front feet turn out a little at the pasterns. They should be strong with well Hindquarters: Well muscled, hocks well let arched toes lying close together. Open feet down with stifles well bent. Legs parallel are unsightly and inefficient. The hind feet are slightly smaller than the front feet. when viewed from behind.

Stifles should be well bent to give the When judging check to see if they are well necessary “spring” and “cushioning” for padded as this padding contributes agility. There should however not be over substantially to the spring that is essential for this breed. angulation nor too much length.

The second thigh should be well muscled. Front Dew claws are left on. There are no When judging feel the depth of muscle on Dew Claws on the hind legs. The standard says feet do turn out a little – In a full grown dog the tail should never not may. Look for this when judging as it is an extend below the hock. Check the length by important characteristic of the breed that had holding the tail along the inside of the hind a purpose – BALANCE - in the history of the leg. Staffordshire. Although it should not curl up over the back, Nails: Black nails are a finishing touch to a when the dog is roused and is feeling Stafford’s feet. It is quite common to see threatened the tail is almost always carried in slightly lighter nails in say a red or light an erect position. Particularly in the show ring brindle dog. You will also see a white nail on in a class of males this may occur if the dogs a toe that has white markings on a foot where are in close proximity to each other. This is all other nails may be black. (the standard perfectly normal reaction and should not be says black in solid coloured dogs.) However penalised. very light nails on a dark brindle / black dog look unsightly and are quite often seen in Having said the above if a dog is carrying his conjunction with yellow eyes. tail high in the ring check the set on. The standard calls for Low Set. If the set of the When judging remember nail colour is tail is incorrect it may be the pelvis is only one aspect of the dog and judge incorrect and therefore the dog may also lack accordingly. in hindquarter strength.

A correct tail set on the Stafford gives it that “finished look” and the Pump Handle is a characteristic of the Breed.

Tail: Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. Should not curl much and may be likened to an old fashioned pump handle. (5 points)

Unlike a pump handle the Staffords tail should not be thin all the way down but Gait/ Movement: Free, powerful and agile should start thick at the root and taper with economy of effort. Legs moving gradually throughout its length. parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hind legs. The root of the Staffordshire’s tail should be a strong one. It should be remembered With his broad front the Staffordshire cannot that the tail bones are a continuation of the be expected to move like some of the other spinal vertebrae. This means that any thin or terrier breeds. In order to be in perfect inferior growth of the tail bones is likely to balance all the time he is moving he has to indicate similar weakness of bone in the place his front feet slightly under his body spine and skeleton generally. with each stride. This inward inclination must commence from the shoulder and never the The old pit dogs found their strong pump elbow. handle tails useful as rudders in a fight. A thump down on the floor of the pit with it The front feet should never touch each would help the dog to lever or edge himself other or cross in movement and any looseness in shoulder is highly undesirable. into a better position in a fight. The gait must be light and jaunty with the On the move feet skimming the ground without any wasted movement whatsoever.

The hind legs should drive strongly moving as much as possible parallel with each other. They should never touch or cross each other in movement. Crossing rear legs / hocks touching is totally unacceptable in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and is a sign of weakness and unsoundness and is highly undesirable.

To produce perfect action, a Stafford must move his hind legs in true parallel to each other throughout their length. ie from Hip to foot showing firm flexion at the points of stifle Economy of effort – discernible drive from the and hock. rear and low set pump handle tail.

The Stafford on the move should show strength, agility and drive. There is a jaunty appearance to the movement. – A Swagger. The rear action often causes confusion because of the slight roll in a sound moving dog. The Stafford particularly in show trotting will appear extremely light and bouncy on his feet. This is caused by the great width of the front assembly with a well developed rib cage, the lighter loin and slightly less width of rear.

Also because of the lesser width at the rear, the hind legs although moving parallel will be Coat: Smooth, short and close. In good just slightly inside the line of the front legs. condition the Staffordshire coat should shine.

A specimen that is loose in shoulder can be It is a single coat and thinner and finer than a supported by his handler while on the stack fox terrier. It is of medium texture neither however as soon as the dog becomes mobile course or silky best described as seal like any structural faults will become apparent. and pleasant to touch.

Tip when judging: A Staffordshire should be Because of its fine coat the Stafford feels the walked at a steady pace in the ring and not wind and rain and will try to avoid the run like a German Shepherd. A specialist elements wherever possible. If you are breed judge will always ask exhibitors to walk judging in inclement conditions expect to see their Stafford on a loose lead. The loose even the best topline with a roach. lead will tell you many things when the Stafford is walking in a triangle. The coat should be very close fitting, but even on hard muscled dogs will tighten closer Several years ago when Tom Horner judged when the animal is threatened or alert.. It in Melbourne he made some exhibitors then forms a leather like armour protection for repeat their triangles up to 3 times until he the body. had the pace that he wanted. All UK breed specialists always make comment on the Colour: Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or speed at which some exhibits are moved. any of these colours with white. Any shade of The Staffordshire must be in all respects brindle or any shade of brindle with white. an efficient working machine. Black & tan and liver highly undesirable.

Strong colouring is to be encouraged. All brindles should carry eyes that blend with their darkest colouring. A black brindle should never have a yellow eye whereas a tiger brindle with a dark hazel eye is most appealing and has a more typical expression.

Reds and fawns must always have a black nose. A brown coloured nose denotes liver. Eyerims must always be dark irrespective of colour. – Whites, pieds, reds or fawn.

A wide variety of colours as explained in the standard are acceptable in the Stafford so when judging no acceptable colour should take preference over another.

Black & Tan (like a or Rottweiller). Sometimes this colour is not as clearly defined and harder to notice the tan markings. The peanuts over the eyes, markings on the face, on the chest, inside the front & rear legs and under the vent appear as brindle. These will usually appear on a black brindle dog. Referred to as a black & tan overlay.

Liver staffords are recognized by the lack of Black and Tan with white – Tricolour black pigmentation on the nose (brownish in colour) and usually very light eyes “yellow in colour”.

Both of these colours are highly undesirable and should never be shown, bred, encouraged or awarded any prize.

When judging the Stafford do not penalise “battle scars”. As a fighting dog it is certainly permissible to have scarring and is part of the history of the breed.

All feet in solid coloured dogs should carry black toe nails. When the nails have been subjected to a good deal of wear and tear the black pigmentation can look shabby and worn however if you look at the root of the nail a truly black nail will be seen. Liver and white. Note the brown nose.

Check for good pigmentation in diluted This is a liver & white example but coloured dogs – such as blues and fawns. generally a liver can be a solid colour all

over. Nose will always be brown.

Both of these colours are highly undesirable and should never be shown, bred, or encouraged.

Size: Weight: Dogs 28-38 lbs, Bitches 24-24 A good specimen within the standard should lbs. always be placed over the oversized specimens. This oversize dog may be an Desirable height at the withers 14-16 inches impressive looking show dog – but is it a these heights being related to the weights. good Staffordshire Bull Terrier? Balance & The standard calls for a Stafford of between type are the key words. 14-16 inches and this is one of the few standards where the height has been brought There is nothing in the standard that says that down over the years. a bitch should be smaller than the dog or vice versa. A 16inch well balanced bitch is as It appears one of the reasons was not to acceptable as a 15 inch well balanced dog. breed smaller dogs but to ensure that dogs However the one important thing to were not bred larger. remember is that the bitch must look Another reason put forward was that a feminine and the dog must look smaller agile dog could get under its masculine. A first glance should tell you what opponents throat and tip it up. gender is before you. You should not need to look underneath the dog. Still another was the smaller agile dog had more endurance in a fight than the heavier bull . Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the In more recent times it has become seriousness with which the fault should be increasingly important to maintain correct size regarded in exact proportion to its degree. dogs because of the dangerous dog legislations in various countries. We need to Note: Male animals should have two retain the type of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier apparently normal testicles descended into so that there can be no confusion over a dog the scrotum. of “” type.

The weights in the standard would have been for dogs of fighting condition and as we no longer fight these dogs and with changes to living conditions over the years our dogs tend to be a little heavier. If the stafford of today were within these scales you would probably think it underdone. Making allowance that Staffords are heavier today does not mean accepting a fat dog, he must still be active and agile.

There is much debate on size with many people saying that if we accept a heavier Stafford why not a stafford that is over height – say 18 inches. In recent years many of our winning dogs have been 17 inches plus. A UK Ch Valglo Cassanova at Crossguns stafford or for that matter any breed that is 1 UK Breed record holder with 40 CC’s or 2 inches over the standard in height plus with the extra weight attributed to this height makes a specimen completely “off type”.

Not only does it make staffords that are of correct size at the lower end of the standard appear too small it makes staffords who are at the top 16inches appear small and this should never be condoned.